# The seam in a male below the testicles upto the buttocks **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 23, 2013, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seam-in-a-male-below-the-testicles-upto-the-buttocks/651186 "2013-02-23T19:25:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nansbread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nansbread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nansbread)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seam-in-a-male-below-the-testicles-upto-the-buttocks/651186/1 "2013-02-23T19:25:48Z")
In an otherwise seamless creation why does the male of the human species have this seam. It looks and feels like a stitching. Whats the evolutionary significance of it? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seam-in-a-male-below-the-testicles-upto-the-buttocks/651186/2 "2013-02-23T19:33:46Z")
Evolutionary significance? No. However, developmentally the scrotum is formed by fusing the fetus’ labia. So yes, it is a seam. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seam-in-a-male-below-the-testicles-upto-the-buttocks/651186/3 "2013-02-23T19:42:47Z")
> [@nansbread](#): > > In an otherwise seamless creation why does the male of the human species have this seam. It looks and feels like a stitching. Whats the evolutionary significance of it? Taint none. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seam-in-a-male-below-the-testicles-upto-the-buttocks/651186/4 "2013-02-23T19:47:16Z")
_swings wet trout at…never mind, it’s a mod_ ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seam-in-a-male-below-the-testicles-upto-the-buttocks/651186/5 "2013-02-23T20:08:16Z")
Actually, that should be “'taint one”. If you’re going to use nonexistent words, at least spell them with the right punctuation, please. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seam-in-a-male-below-the-testicles-upto-the-buttocks/651186/6 "2013-02-23T20:16:15Z")
> [@dstarfire](#): > > Actually, that should be “'taint one”. If you’re going to use nonexistent words, at least spell them with the right punctuation, please. 😛 If you’re going to criticize someone’s punctuation, at least be sure it’s the punctuation you’re criticizing. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![llcoolbj77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb9ed0/32.png) [@llcoolbj77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/llcoolbj77)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seam-in-a-male-below-the-testicles-upto-the-buttocks/651186/7 "2013-02-23T20:28:34Z")
As a new mom to a baby boy, I too was curious about this. But it’s not the kind of thing you type into google. Ball seams? Taint lines? ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seam-in-a-male-below-the-testicles-upto-the-buttocks/651186/8 "2013-02-23T20:29:43Z")
The structure referred to is the perineal raphe. It occurs in both sexes: [Thieme Atlas of Anatomy: General Anatomy and Musculoskeletal System](http://books.google.com/books?id=NK9TgTaGt6UC&pg=PA192&lpg=PA192&dq=perineal+raphe+female&source=bl&ots=KMSYhiE6Xr&sig=tb5rdCxzi6n1KrWKMgKCgaCqP7Q&hl=en&sa=X&ei=9yQpUfnMBaKW0QHJv4HoDw&ved=0CEMQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=perineal%20raphe%20female&f=false) Wiki has photos if you want living detail. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seam-in-a-male-below-the-testicles-upto-the-buttocks/651186/9 "2013-02-23T20:32:20Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > If you’re going to criticize someone’s punctuation, at least be sure it’s the punctuation you’re criticizing. 😛 If you’re going to criticize someone’s criticism of someone’s puntuation at least be sure it’s um …ah… I got nothing. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seam-in-a-male-below-the-testicles-upto-the-buttocks/651186/10 "2013-02-23T21:00:54Z")
It’s obviously a road map of sorts! ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seam-in-a-male-below-the-testicles-upto-the-buttocks/651186/11 "2013-02-23T21:06:17Z")
It’s the zipper for my exo-suit. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seam-in-a-male-below-the-testicles-upto-the-buttocks/651186/12 "2013-02-23T21:59:01Z")
During development, your skin essentially (and hugely oversimplifiedly) grows from the spine and curls around both sides, eventually meeting in the front. The seam you’re talking about is where the two sides of skin met up. It’s the same thing as the little dent under your nose, and why people are born with a cleft palate. There’s also a line running down your front, though it’s more obvious under the skin. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seam-in-a-male-below-the-testicles-upto-the-buttocks/651186/13 "2013-02-23T22:14:09Z")
Every foetus starts out as female and given the right number of chromosomes it turns male - so that’s what would have been the female genitals if it had continued on the default settings. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seam-in-a-male-below-the-testicles-upto-the-buttocks/651186/14 "2013-02-23T23:04:27Z")
> [@nansbread](#): > > In an otherwise seamless creation why does the male of the human species have this seam. It looks and feels like a stitching. We have seams in our skull, as well, which do not seal up until after birth. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seam-in-a-male-below-the-testicles-upto-the-buttocks/651186/15 "2013-02-24T01:06:11Z")
> [@llcoolbj77](#): > > As a new mom to a baby boy, I too was curious about this. But it’s not the kind of thing you type into google. Ball seams? Taint lines? I assume the ads Google would present would be an odd mix. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seam-in-a-male-below-the-testicles-upto-the-buttocks/651186/16 "2013-02-24T03:06:07Z")
> [@dstarfire](#): > > Actually, that should be “'taint one”. If you’re going to use nonexistent words, at least spell them with the right punctuation, please. 😛 The correct punctuation would be “t’ain’t.” Following it with “none” is acceptable, employing the double negative for emphasis. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seam-in-a-male-below-the-testicles-upto-the-buttocks/651186/17 "2013-02-24T03:32:09Z")
How is it that “taint” is not a word? Plenty of people carry the taint of corruption, even if they don’t have a seam but a labia instead. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seam-in-a-male-below-the-testicles-upto-the-buttocks/651186/18 "2013-02-24T03:37:14Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > The correct punctuation would be “t’ain’t.” Correct punctuation would be 'tain’t, since it’s from “it ain’t.” ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seam-in-a-male-below-the-testicles-upto-the-buttocks/651186/19 "2013-02-24T03:44:23Z")
In this case I’d expect the first apostrophe represents the letters _-here_, dropped from “there.” (The question was, “what’s the evolutionary significance of it?”) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seam-in-a-male-below-the-testicles-upto-the-buttocks/651186/20 "2013-02-24T03:51:48Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > In this case I’d expect the first apostrophe represents the letters _-here_, dropped from “there.” Actually, it could go either way. I was also punning in referring to the “taint,” a colloquialism for the perineum, the area between the genitals and anus. So called because it ain’t one thing, and it ain’t the other. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-seam-in-a-male-below-the-testicles-upto-the-buttocks/651186.md?page=2)